Growing Up: The Fifth Generation of Fighter Aircraft Takes Off
By Scott Clay, Bishop & Associates Inc.

To understand aircraft classifications, we must journey back through history to the early days of airplanes and their military use. During World War I (1914-1918), aircraft were used as reconnaissance platforms for the first time. Early fabric-covered bi-planes of the Red Baron and other “Knights of the Air” dueled at breathtaking speeds of 115 miles per hour through the skies above Europe. These early aircraft look nothing like the modern composite- and titanium-covered planes that engage each other at distances of 100 miles and more at speeds of 1,400 miles per hour in today’s combat situations. Today, nations measure their military strength by the capabilities of their fighter aircraft. Also, billions of dollars per year are spent on these platforms, with even the smallest countries investing large amounts of money and technology to build or buy modern fighter aircraft. Currently, there are seven countries evaluating up to five proposed modern aircraft for their air forces, including India, Singapore, Norway, and Australia. Companies and nations are supporting their planes in the competitions as the “best suited” for each program. For the aircraft companies, this means billions of dollars. For governments, it means additional tax revenue or expenditures, and the prestige of having the “winners” in modern aircraft competition.

Five-Year Forecast of Aircraft Builds

Military fighter aircraft have improved dramatically since the first air combat in World War I. Several years ago, defense experts began to classify aircraft based on “generations” as a way to compare the performance and level of technology between modern planes and earlier versions. The first generation encompasses the early jet fighters that came into service during World War II, the German Messerschmitt Me 262, and the British Meteor, the only jets actually used in combat. Other jets existed in the United States during this time, but they arrived in Europe too late to see combat. This group of aircraft also saw the first solderless terminals, early block connectors, and some early circular parts.

The second generation of fighters was employed in the Korean Conflict, 1950-1954. The U. S. F-86 and Soviet MiG-15 both owed at least some of their design to concepts found in German documents captured after World War II, and were prime examples of this generation. Both had a single in-line jet engine, swept-back wings, and were designed to use onboard guns to shoot each other down. There are other jets operating from American aircraft carriers off the Korean coast, but these were not as advanced as the F-86 or the MiG. However, these types of planes did implement the first main harnesses running the length of the fuselage, with additional wiring that powered weapons, controls, radar, and cockpit systems.

During the later 1950s and early 1960s, the next generation of fighters were developed, including the United States “Century Series,” the F-100, F-101, F-102, F-104, F-105, F-106, and the Soviet MiG-17 and MiG-21. These aircraft were supersonic, and were armed with missiles as well as guns and cannons. Other countries, such as Britain and France, built third-generation fighters, and every builder began marketing them to almost every other country on the globe. This period also saw the real development of the 38999 and 26482 series of connectors, and the use of these devices in aircraft multiplied rapidly. The number of aircraft grew, and by 1960, as the Cold War entered its early stages, the Air Force had over 4,000 frontline fighters and almost as many bombers.

The fourth-generation fighters emerged in the mid-1970s, and these models still make up the frontline planes for most air forces. There are also some advanced versions in this generation of aircraft in service throughout the world. These planes incorporate better and more powerful engines, new and more accurate weapons, modern avionics, and electronic systems to push these platforms almost to a “4.5” Generation plane. Aircraft like the latest American F-18, F-16, F-15, British Typhoon, Saab Gripen, Russian MiG-29 and 35, Sukhoi Su-30, and Su-35 all display some aspects of a 4.5 generation plane. The planes just mentioned have highly upgraded avionics, some stealth aspects on the airframe, enclosed or partially covered weapons bays, high-performance engines that allow extreme combat maneuvering, and the latest in electronic countermeasures to defeat various threats to the airplane from the ground and the air. Also, the past 20 years have been very busy for maintenance and repair work on existing aircraft for many nations, and new electronics and systems are being installed on older aircraft to improve performance and keep these aging planes in service.

There are currently only two flying versions of fifth-generation fighters. The American F-35 “Lightening II” is undergoing major testing and evaluation by Lockheed Martin and the Air Force. The U. S. F-22 “Raptor” is on active duty in several squadrons, and the Department of Defense just capped the number of F-22s at 187, which means that unless we sell them to Allied nations, such as Japan, production will stop on this aircraft in 2012. F-35 production is scheduled to start in small volumes in 2013-2014, and is expected to run for at least 20 years. Both of these aircraft feature stealth technology, covered weapons bays, variable thrust engines to enable unique flying characteristics, the latest radar systems—Active Electronically Scanned Radar, the newest types of electronic countermeasure devices, missiles, threat detection, and onboard computers.

While China and Russia are both working on a fifth-generation fighter, it is thought that it will be several years before the planes actually fly, let alone go into production. However, the 4.5 levels of aircraft in use by each nation are still very capable, and still pose a threat to overall U. S. interests. European countries feel their Typhoon and Gripen both fit into the 4.5 level of technology. This “state-of-the-art” aircraft has the latest radar and systems, new missiles and weapons, all types of new connector and wiring systems, embedded PC board systems, new databus avionics systems, better and more interactive displays, smaller conduction-cooled embedded computers for various critical missions, and detection equipment. The latest CM-type of computers in these aircraft include input locations for the following connector systems: SNA for ETI, 38999 for Radar Link, 38999 with fiber insert for SKD input, 26482 for Comms Link, VME, VPX, and cPCI-ready, up to 12 microwave input locations, high-power input location, and several others. Most of these systems also have been “ruggedized” with better contacts, connector lockdowns, or interface systems that will hold up to shock and vibration, and with higher tolerances in temperature range. Capacity for these systems is now rated in the terabytes, with drive packs sealed up to 41,000 feet, and temperature ratings from -40°C to 120°C.

The technology implemented in these aircraft and their support systems is the latest that industry can offer. In fact, the technology is moving ahead so rapidly that even when platforms are upgraded, which often takes several years to complete, the level of performance has already been supplanted by newer systems, or better, more sophisticated equipment.

This is the level of development that one is seeing in modern aircraft. Radar and self-protection systems that were state of the art five years ago are now outdated and can easily be defeated by countermeasures currently in production. So, upgrades and new system installations continue. They are put into many legacy aircraft, no matter how long they have been in service. Recently, the B-2 bomber, considered the most modern and cutting-edge aircraft ever designed to deliver a bomb on target, was selected for a new avionics and systems suite. This improvement will cost more than $4 million per plane. This is being done to take advantage of the latest avionics and systems developments since the original plane was built in the 1990s.

Often, older aircraft are upgraded just to keep them flying. For example, the American A-10 attack aircraft, which would only qualify as a third-generation aircraft, is in the midst of a major wing rebuild by Boeing—which will keep the fleet of over 400 flying for another 10 years. It has already undergone two electronics and avionics upgrades. And of course, the champion of older aircraft is the venerable United States Air Force B-52 bomber, first built in the 1950s. The newest aircraft in the fleet of 92 is at least 50 years old. And yet, the United States wants to keep this platform flying effectively until 2030, at least. At this rate, many of the third- and fourth-generation aircraft will be flying in active service for another 10 to 20 years. A few of the systems that will be installed in today’s fleet of aircraft include embedded security, data and mission computers, recorders of all types, multifunction displays, electronic flight bags, targeting and weapons status avionics, system evaluation and readiness displays, video and targeting systems, and smaller and more dense systems using the new VITA standards allow more electronics to be put into smaller areas. Fifth-generation aircraft are full of these new systems, and their use will only continue to increase as aircraft complexity grows and more planes of this caliber are built. 

Scott Clay
Director Military & Aerospace, Bishop & Associates Inc.
Scott Clay has worked for more than 25 years in the connector and wiring systems markets. He has held various positions in field applications and marketing for Molex, Tyco, Methode, and ITT. For the past 15 years, Clay has focused on the military/aerospace sector, and five years ago formed his own company for consulting and application engineering. He has worked on design-in and electronics on F/A-18E/F, F-22, F-35, C-130J, C-5M, C-27, P-8, A-10, and numerous other aircraft. Some of the Navy programs Clay has participated in are SSN-774 Virginia class subs, CVX, DDG-1000, and the Littoral Combat Ship class. He has extensive expertise in land vehicle systems, and has worked closely with the worldwide locations of GD, BAE, AM General, and other key manufacturers. He is currently working on variations of MRAP, JLTV, upgrades for the Bradley fighting vehicle, M-88 recovery vehicle, FMTV, and other platforms in the wiring and systems areas, plus portions of the future combat systems.